Hočąk Text — The Gift of Shooting

narrated by Sam Blowsnake

English Translation


p. 100 —
'Éki
wokû´zra
čîkíreki
Waščîkéka
hík'orókirà
And
[the creation]
the first time
Rabbit
his granr


hak'arak'ížu,
waxop'ínî
waračire
wak'ížurera,
wak'árak'ižu
with him,
the spirits
[the various]
these with them,
with him


p. 101 —
'ûî´reže,
'aîrenâ.
'Éki
č'íroîxčî`
wîrâ´kirekù
[they did it,]
[they said.]
And
filling the lodge
[-]*
*could this be for the exclamation wirakirakuni?


waxop'ínî
waračíre.
'Éki
Wažakû´zra
wa'ûžé,
spirits
the various.
Then
the Creator
he did this,


p. 102 —
'aî´renâ.
K'eráč'o
nîké
rúzanaka
mâxíska
[they say.]
Blue sky
a piece of
he took and
white clouds


hirok'í
wap'orokše,*
'aî´renâ.
Že'é
waxuxkeî´žâ
with
he rolled it by hand,
they said.
That
a shell
*an initial /y/ was crossed out and /w/ written above it.


herekí.
Hačara
p'îžé,
'aî´renâ.
Mâxískara
that was.
[The sight]
it was good,*
[they say.]
White clouds
*Susman translates hačara p'îžé together as, "it looked good".


p. 103 —
k'eráč'ora
hiwakáxki,
k'arap'îéskeže,
'aî´renâ.
Že'é
blue sky
(as) it was marked with,
it looked pretty,
they said.
That


mâréki
hewáhukíki
č'axšép'
wirúk'ânârá
hâ´pokurà
down to earth
he sent and
eagles
the leader
the east


hap'ahí
kisâsâ´kše,
'aî´renâ.
Žekû´ki
č'iókisákeča
[he went towards]
he shook,*
[they said.]
And
in the center of the lodge
*a note at the bottom of the page reads, "(E. shot him)".


p. 104 —
hoxíwi
čirekíže.
Waxoxkénâk'a
kišóročšé,
'aî´renâ.
to cough
he started.
That shell
he made come out from a hole,
[it is said.]


'Éki
râ´pok'ânâka
hanîanâka
č'irókîkîxiránâka
And
he picked it up and
[he took it and]
he went around the lodge and


p. 105 —
č'îók'isakeča
'î´ečot'ûréki,
mâî´ča
ruk'irik'íri
nâkšé,
in the center of the lodge
when he threw it into his mouth,
on the ground
he shook
[he lay,]


'aî´renâ.
'Éki
wâkšík'
Waščîkéka
hiteknîkwahirižâ
[it is said.]
Then
[man]
Rabbit
one of his little uncles


woškâ´
hikû´znák'i
ǧaǧák'
č'irókîkîxak'irîanâka
[he]
[the rite]
they were teaching
crying
he went around and


p. 106 —
kučšé,
'aî´renâ.
Žekû´ki
mâîča
hak'arašû´xčî
they shot him,
[it is said.]
Then
on the ground
[lying face down]*
*the translation has "prone".


s'ač'î´
ruk'irik'íriakše,
'aî´renâ.
'Éki
hâ´pokuréki
very stiff
he shook
[it is said.]
Then
from the east


hižą́
t'aipčiránaka
'aį́ča
haruk'ózanąka
one
got up quickly and
by the arm
he took him and


nąčkómįną́keča
haruk'ózanąka
Mąk'ą́ni
on his heart side
he held and
the Medicine People


p. 107 —
nîháhîánâka
k'ik'áwa'û
kikižé,
'aî´renâ.
'Éske
they chanted and
to get up
he made him,
it is said.
So


k'ikúč'
nâ´kre
že'é
waki'û´
shooting each other
[the ones who]
that
they
for that reason


wa'únàkšânâ.
they do it.


Source:

Amelia Susman, Notebooks (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, January, 1939) Book 9:100-107.